The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has decried the high number of unemployed doctors in the country.
According to the Union, the government of Kenya has mastered the art of training and dumping doctors as soon as they are done with their internships.
“We produce 900 doctors per year, they train and dump, there are more than 4,000 doctors who need to be employed urgently,” KMPDU secretary general Davji Atellah said.
He added that the shortage of medical professionals has contributed to inadequate healthcare services, which he said has particularly affected rural and underprivileged areas and they need to be addressed as soon as possible.
“This not only affects access to healthcare but also perpetuates health inequalities… The lack of doctors and the poor state of healthcare is a critical issue that needs to be addressed.”
KMPDU officials joined South Africa Medical Affiliated Trade Union (Samatu), in marching from Heartfelt Arena Pretoria to the Premier’s office to submit a memorandum in a show of unity and collectiveness.
The South African doctors were protesting poor working conditions.
Davji said Samatu had done what Kenya started in 2017.
He called on the government to modernise healthcare infrastructure as means to improve healthcare services in the country.
“To improve healthcare services, we must prioritize the education and training of more doctors and other medical professionals. This includes increasing funding for medical schools and residency programs and providing incentives for students to pursue careers in medicine.”
